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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28385634">Cleaning Up A Win</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/F00PY/pseuds/F00PY'>F00PY</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Analogical Hogwarts [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Gryffindor! Remus, Gryffindor! Roman, Harry potter verse, Hogwarts AU, Hufflepuff! Patton, Janus Has a Crush on Patton, Janus is released from the Hospital Wing, Logan Has Terrible Work Habits, Logan is Unconscious, M/M, Mentions of Werewolf Attack, Patton Remus and Roman are in 5th, Ravenclaw! Logan, Ravenclaw! Virgil, References to Roman being a jackass, Remus is a little wierd, Slytherin! Janus, They're all 14 and 15, Virgil Janus and Logan are in 4th year, Virgil Meets Remus, Virgil and Roman talk, Virgil goes to see Roman, barely edited, friendly teasing, mentions of child abuse, mentions of prejudice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:17:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28385634</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/F00PY/pseuds/F00PY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You scared me to death!”</p><p>“You’re very awake for a dead man.”</p><p>Virgil rolled his eyes, but a large gleeful smile had appeared on his face. “Fuck you.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Analogical - Relationship, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Deceit | Janus Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders &amp; Logic | Logan Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders, Mentions of Moceit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Analogical Hogwarts [15]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>138</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cleaning Up A Win</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Due to overwhelming support from Hogwarts students, parents, and teachers, there will be an exception made to Werewolf Clause 15 in the case of Janus Drake. So long as Janus Drake takes Wolfsbane Potion every full moon and is put in a safe location, he will be allowed to continue his stay at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.</i>
</p><p>Janus blinked at the words on the page.</p><p>He blinked again.</p><p>No matter how many times he opened and closed his eyes, they remained the same. The Ministry, despite its conservative tendencies, had voted to let him stay.</p><p>Somehow, through the genius that Logan possessed, Logan had done something Janus had truly thought was impossible. He had forced the Purebloods to go <i>liberal</i>.</p><p>Janus couldn’t imagine that amount of effort that must’ve taken.</p><p>“Do you know what that means?” Madam Pomfrey asked him. </p><p>She said it rather hurriedly as if the very notion of talking to him had caused her pain- but over the past week and two days, Janus had gotten acquainted with her and he knew that it was just how she spoke. </p><p>“I learned how to read when I was younger, yes,” Janus responded dryly. His tone didn’t match the wet welling up in his eyes and he began to blink rapidly in hopes that she wouldn’t notice. </p><p>Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes. “It means you can get out of my wing, finally. You were healed four days ago, it's ridiculous that I had to keep you here- not that I minded if it would keep you from going out and immediately ripping open old wounds.”</p><p>“You know,” Janus said sarcastically, “that was just my plan. I just really love sitting here on this stupid bed doing nothing, so I thought I would make it longer for myself.”</p><p>The nurse gave a quiet “hmmph” and tapped her wand against his head.</p><p>“You read perfectly normal, and now the school has decided you’re allowed to stay, I don’t have to keep you locked up in here.” She tutted loudly. “And I don’t have to deal with your friends barging in at undignified hours.”</p><p>“Sincerest apologies.”</p><p>Another “hmmph” escaped her lips. “Tomorrow morning, Professor Dumbledore is going to have a talk with you, me, and your Head of House about what we’re going to do during full moons.”</p><p>Janus stiffened slightly.</p><p>“But until then,” Madam Pomfrey said and it could’ve been Janus’s imagination but he swore her tone softened slightly, “your job is to relax and see your friends again. School has been canceled since the attack and will be until the end of this week, so you don’t have to worry about makeup work. You’ve been stressed out for too long.” She met his eyes. “You’ve won. Now, <i>relax.</i>”</p><p>His throat was suspiciously dry, but Janus nodded against the sandpaper feeling building inside of him. He swallowed loudly.</p><p>Madam Pomfrey nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning then, Mr. Drake.”</p><p>Janus licked his lips. “I guess so.”</p><p> </p><p>The Ravenclaw Tower was the stupidest guarded tower in Hogwarts and Janus was all the happier for it. Both Slytherin and Gryffindor had passwords, Hufflepuff had a barrel monstrosity, while Ravenclaw was stuck with <i>riddles.</i></p><p><i>Anyone</i> could answer riddles.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>”All you have to do is answer a riddle?” Janus glanced up at Logan from across the chessboard. “That’s ridiculous! Anyone could get in!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“It’s fascinating as to why,” Logan responded. His eyes didn’t leave the chessboard. “Rook to b4.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Janus watched the little piece completely take out one of his pawns and glowered at it. “Why is it interesting?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Rowena made the tower before the founders had decided to create different houses. It was supposed to be a room for the people she considered higher up and she went against the other founders to do it. Anyone who could answer a riddle was considered to be apart of that group.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“So she was an elitist. Pawn to e6.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“And Salazar was a purest, Godric was sexist, and Helga was racist,” Logan responded coolly. “Queen to f3. Checkmate.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Janus sat back in his chair, mouth twisting into a frown. He still hadn’t one once against Logan, though he was beginning to last a bit longer. “Welcome to history.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>The smallest of smiles appeared on Logan’s face. “Indeed.”</i>
</p><p> </p><p>Janus banged the large brass knocker and the eagle head on it opened its mouth. For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other, until the eagle said,</p><p>“There’s a one-story house in which everything is yellow. Yellow walls, yellow doors, yellow furniture. What color are the stairs?”</p><p>He scoffed. “It’s one story.”</p><p>The knocker seemed to smile and the door slid open.</p><p>None of the other Ravenclaws seemed shocked at his arrival. It wasn’t the first time Janus had used Ravenclaw’s lax security to his advantage and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Still, he wasn’t used to the quiet… glares wasn't the right word. Nobody seemed mad at him.</p><p>Curious perhaps.</p><p>Nervous.</p><p>And… </p><p>Oh, that was definitely pity.</p><p>Janus ground his teeth together. He didn’t need their pity. He was fine. Everything was fine. </p><p>
  <i>Fine.</i>
</p><p>“Um.” A person walked up to him. Evan, Janus reminded himself. They/Them. They sat next to him in Charms. “Hey, Janus. How are you doing?”</p><p>“Superb,” Janus said dryly. “Where’s-”</p><p>“I just want to say-” Evan drew themself up- “I’m glad you’re staying.”</p><p>The sentiment was quietly echoed around the dorm room. It was rather shocking actually- not a single Ravenclaw looked to be against the idea that a werewolf would be living under the same roof.</p><p>Janus swallowed.</p><p>“Me too,” he responded. His voice had softened slightly and he instantly tightened up his tone. “Where’s Virgil and Logan?”</p><p>“Logan’s unconscious,” a girl said from nearby the fireplace. She glanced up from her book and pointed towards the boy’s dormitory. “He won’t be awake for the next three days at the very least.”</p><p>“Perfect,” Janus sighed. “Glad I came all the way here to thank him.”</p><p>Still, he turned away from the Ravenclaws and made his way up the stairs and into the boy dormitory.</p><p>He had only been in here a couple of times.</p><p>Blue beds were nicely set out, most of which had a stack of books sitting beside them. The ones that didn’t had possibly dangerous experiments tucked underneath them, with piles of research notes beside them, or some hugely creative projects, including giant canvases or handwritten books.</p><p>Bunch of fucking nerds.</p><p>There, in a bed in the corner, was Virgil. Virgil had a notepad in hand, which, upon closer inspection, was almost filled with piano notes. The Ravenclaw had his eyes closed, head tilted slightly to the left. After a moment, his eyes opened and he added another note to the page.</p><p>Janus was sure that his piano buddy would’ve been working on the piano itself, had it not been for Logan’s limp body laying across the same bed Virgil was sitting on, head placed firmly on Virgil’s lap curled generally in the fetal position.</p><p>“Hello, Virgil.”</p><p>Virgil jumped up, nearly knocking Logan off his lap, then fully glared at Janus. He closed and set his notebook aside, taking the time to give Janus the middle finger before snarling:</p><p>“You scared me to death!”</p><p>“You’re very awake for a dead man.”</p><p>Virgil rolled his eyes, but a large gleeful smile had appeared on his face. “Fuck you.”</p><p>“Save that for Logan,” Janus responded smoothly, and it was very worth it to see the way his foster brother spluttered before flipping him off yet again.</p><p>Merlin, it felt good to see him outside of that stupid Hospital Wing. A small smile absolutely refused to slide off his face, and it only grew when Virgil gently shifted Logan over so Janus could sit next to him.</p><p>Instantly, Janus obliged.</p><p>“I did come here to thank him but he seems to be busy at the moment,” Janus said, peering down at the sleeping Ravenclaw, who hadn’t even so much as changed his breathing during their entire exchange. “What happened to him?”</p><p>“He’s a fucking idiot,” Virgil said fondly. He brushed a hand through Logan's hair and threaded it behind the genius’s ear. “You know that stupid bracelet he designed over the summer?”</p><p>Janus blinked. “He wore that bracelet-”</p><p>“The entire time you were in the hospital wing,” Virgil interrupted. He stared down at Logan, and Janus’s chest ached just looking at the amount of love pouring from Virgil to Logan. “Because he’s an idiot who doesn’t know how to take breaks.”</p><p>“He hasn’t slept since the attack?”</p><p>Virgil’s eyes shifted. “The bracelet did its job.”</p><p>Janus ignored the way his gut curdled slightly. “Well, that was intelligent of him. Clearly, he should keep the title of genius.”</p><p>Virgil laughed. Slowly, he pulled himself out from underneath Logan’s head and placed him softly down on the bed, before turning over to Janus. His eyes searched Janus up and down- and Janus met them head-on.</p><p>“How do I look?”</p><p>“Stupid.”</p><p>Janus choked on his own laughter and Virgil grinned.</p><p>“You look fine, J. You’ve got cool scars defending the man you love-”</p><p>Janus spluttered. “I hope you die in a pumpkin patch-”</p><p>“-and you shall wear them triumphantly, as a badge of a worthy mate-”</p><p>“I hate you-”</p><p>“-soon you shall have men- and women- and non-binaries all flocking to your pansexual door- the closet-”</p><p>“You’re lucky Logan is asleep because he would’ve smacked you.”</p><p>Virgil just grinned and Janus’s heart lurched looking at it. He almost… he had almost had to leave these people, these friends that had stood by him… and he didn’t.</p><p>He got to stay.</p><p>Janus glanced back over at Logan, who hadn’t moved since Virgil shifted him over.</p><p>He still had to thank the nerd.</p><p>“Speaking of puns,” Virgil said, “why are you not at the Hufflepuff door begging to stare at Patton with large puppy dog eyes?”</p><p>“First of all,” Janus said, “I do <i>not</i> have puppy dog eyes-”</p><p>“Mmm-hmm.”</p><p>“Secondly, because I wanted to thank your unconscious boyfriend.”</p><p>Virgil's entire face shifted as he glanced at Logan- smirk changing into a soft smile, and eyebrows flattening out. When he looked back at Janus, some of the softness dissipated, but the amount of love remained the same.</p><p>“And finally…” Janus's voice trailed off. “I needed to see how angsty you were being.”</p><p>Virgil just shrugged. “Always more than you think.” </p><p>Janus wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he chose nothing. After a moment, Janus pushed from the bed and nodded at the pair of them.<br/>
“Let me know when he wakes up.”</p><p>Virgil nodded and with a brief smile in his foster brother’s direction, Janus headed out to go shout at some barrels until the do-gooder Hufflepuffs chose to open the door.</p><p> </p><p>Janus had left half an hour ago. By this point, Virgil had resumed his position from before, with Logan’s head on his lap while he went over the piano song he was attempting to write.</p><p>It was probably going to be garbage anyway, but Virgil enjoyed the process. Going over notes, hearing the music in his head, and playing it out- even if he wasn’t doing that at this point in time- always put him in a good mood.</p><p>Well.</p><p>It usually did.</p><p>Right now, it wasn’t calming the fluttering in his stomach or the want to stick his thumb in his mouth and bite down.</p><p>After a moment of trying to figure out if he should just throw out his entire song, Virgil dropped it onto the pillow beside him and used the hand that had previously been holding it to trace Logan’s jawline.</p><p>He really was the most beautiful person Virgil had ever seen. </p><p>His lips were parted slightly, barely enough to even be considered open. Just the tips of his eyelashes fluttered across his open, quiet face and he was curled up in a fetal position, which only made Virgil’s heart lurch all the more.</p><p>It stiffened when it remembered the <i>stupid ass bracelet</i> that sat on Logan's nightstand, right next to his glasses.</p><p>God, Virgil really <i>really</i> should break that thing.</p><p>Logan had even admitted it came with side effects. After all, while the bracelet staved off sleep, it didn’t stave off the <i>need</i> of sleep. It just made Logan a starving man that couldn’t feel hunger.</p><p>And he didn’t care.</p><p>Because he was dumb.</p><p>Virgil brushed a hand through Logan’s hair and pressed a kiss against the temple.</p><p>Logan had wanted to stay awake even longer. He had seen what Virgil’s plan was with those ever-seeing eyes and told Virgil that he would stay awake one more day to help him.</p><p>In response, Virgil had asked him about the long term effects of no sleep. And after a very long and very heated discussion, Logan had removed the bracelet when Virgil promised to go hang out with Patton and Janus right after.</p><p>Right after… </p><p>Virgil pressed another kiss to Logan’s head and wound his fingers around his boyfriend’s silky and generally neat hair.</p><p>Roman.</p><p>
  <i>I’m so sorry. I was a dick to you all last year, and then I hurt you over mom- not that I consider her mom anymore- but I’m really sorry…</i>
</p><p>Virgil closed his eyes and his heart lunged forward. Slowly, he pulled Logan’s head closer to him, as if it could protect him from his own thoughts.</p><p>
  <i>Can I try to earn you back?</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Not right now. Not yet.”</i>
</p><p>It had been more than a year since Roman hurt him.</p><p>It had been about ten months since Roman had apologized. When Virgil basically told him to stay away.</p><p>And Roman had done that, until a week and two days ago, when Virgil had nearly died.</p><p>God, why did everything have to be so complicated? Why couldn’t Roman just have been a complete dick or a complete angel? Why did he have to bounce so perfectly between the two, so that Virgil was never sure whether he could love him or not?</p><p>Virgil closed his eyes.</p><p>That wasn’t fair to his brother.</p><p>
  <i>“Are you alright?” Roman gasped.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I’m sorry for being an ass, Virge. I…” He swallowed. “I probably shouldn’t have come.”</i>
</p><p>His brother had changed.</p><p>He wasn’t the ignorant dreamer Virgil had spent his time protecting back when he was younger.</p><p>And he wasn’t the bully Jack and Terry had made him into.</p><p>He was just… </p><p>Roman.</p><p>And what mattered was that he learned from this experience and used it to make sure he never did anything like it again. What mattered was that they both learned from this.</p><p>Virgil gritted his teeth together and pushed from the bed. After ensuring Logan was properly tucked under the blankets, he made the long journey out of the Ravenclaw Tower and over to the Gryffindor one.</p><p>A painting of a large noble lady barred his entrance.</p><p>“Do you have the password?” she asked, voice silky and eyes soft.</p><p>
  <i>Shit.</i>
</p><p>He had thought he would have to… well, he didn’t know. Perform some amazing feat of bravery or something. Save a doll from a burning building. Whatever. </p><p>Instead, he would never get in and he would never be able to tell Roman what he was so dying to say.</p><p>“Er…” Virgil licked his lips. What if he guessed wrong and the painting shot lasers at him or something? He would die, here, leaving Logan behind to remember him as the idiot who tried to break into the wrong tower.</p><p>A voice that sounded suspiciously like Logan informed him that paintings don’t shoot lasers.</p><p>
  <i>Focus.</i>
</p><p>Right. He needed a way into the tower.</p><p>There was no way he could just yell for Roman. He might not even hear him, and even if he did, it would alert the entire castle to his presence. </p><p>Waiting around didn’t seem very helpful either, especially since a lack of classes (which had been canceled for about 2 weeks both to properly search the ground and figure out how the werewolf got in and help calm the students) meant Roman didn’t actually have to leave his tower until next Monday, about four days from now.</p><p>So he was just screwed then.</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Virgil jumped and swirled around, hand falling to his wand to block any lasers that might come flying in his direction.</p><p>A Gryffindor (judging by his robes) that looked to be Roman’s age bounced towards him. The bare beginnings of a black mustache had crawled onto his face matching with the somewhat messy black hair on the top of his head. His skin color was lightly tanned and he smiled widely when he noticed the way Virgil was gripping his wand.</p><p>“Heya there! My name is Remus Jeong! Are you Ro-Ro’s brother?”</p><p>“Roman…?” Virgil blinked. “You know Roman?”</p><p>“Yuppers with several suppers on top!” Remus paused. “I’m hungry.”</p><p>Virgil didn’t really know how to respond to that.</p><p>“Right! Roman! I’ll get him for you!”</p><p>“I uh…” Virgil coughed. “Thank you.”</p><p>“No problemo!” Remus strutted right up the lady and grinned. He turned back to glance at Virgil. “Do you know what the password is?”</p><p>Virgil had to resist the urge to sigh. “I’m a Ravenclaw.”</p><p>“That’s cool. I’m more worried about the password at the moment,” Remus told him. He waved a hand at the lady. “So do you know?”</p><p>“No.” Virgil looked him up and down. “I’m a Ravenclaw,” he repeated. “I was never told how to get into Gryffindor’s Tower.”</p><p>“Oh.” Remus tilted his head to the side. “So you didn’t figure it out?”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I mean, I know Slytherin’s password is gloria.”</p><p>Virgil blinked. “Then why don’t you know your own house’s password?”</p><p>Remus hesitated. “You know, I’ve never thought about it like that.”</p><p>Virgil stared at the boy in mild fascination and the smallest amount of horror.</p><p>“Hold on! I can fix this!” Remus opened his mouth wide and Virgil figured out what he meant by “fixing” just before Remus did it.</p><p>“Wait, don’t-”</p><p>“RROOOOOOOMMAAAAAAANNN!” Remus screamed. “HEY ROOOOOMAAANNN!”</p><p>Virgil's entire body froze.</p><p>Now everyone would know he was here and all of the Gryffindors would come out, and they’d all stare at him and they’d… do something awful! Maybe they’d shoot lasers.</p><p>The painting began to open and Virgil reached for his wand just as Roman’s head stuck out.</p><p>“Remus, you have to stop getting stuck out here,” Roman said tiredly. The smallest touch of humor played into his voice and he fully swung the picture open, revealing a hole that probably led up to their common room. “The password is flutterworm, it’s not that hard to…” his voice trailed off when he spotted Virgil and suddenly the small smile sank into a rather shaky one. “Virgil?”</p><p>Virgil waved, well aware that any sound he would try to make at the moment would be more of a squeak than a sentence.</p><p>Roman glanced over at Remus, back to Virgil then back to Remus again.</p><p>“Since when do you know my brother?”</p><p>“Since now!” Remus said cheerfully. “He was standing here trying to kill the fat lady with his eyes!”</p><p>Virgil shifted on his feet.</p><p>“That… actually does sound like him,” Roman muttered to himself. “You get in the common room dude, and I’ll come beat you at Squirt in a second.”</p><p>“I’m going to knock your socks off, bro!” Remus and Roman did a series of hand motions Virgil barely followed that ended with a fist bump and then Remus went charging into the hole screaming “I’M THE CANARY AHHHHH” as he went.</p><p>Roman let the painting snap shut behind him. </p><p>Virgil stiffened. His hand fell onto his wand and he had to take a breath to steady himself.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Roman asked. “I mean uh… “why are you here?” seems a little rude but… Hi Virgil.”</p><p>Virgil coughed. “Sup.”</p><p>A smile fleeted across Roman's face, but it died just as quickly as it came. The two of them studied each other neither daring to take a step closer but both wanting to close the chasm between them.</p><p>“I’m here…” Virgil looked away from Roman and towards the lady on the painting Remus had just gone through. “I’m here to talk. To you. About… things.”</p><p>Roman opened his mouth but Virgil held up his hand.</p><p>“I nearly died.”</p><p>His brother stiffened.</p><p>“I nearly died, and I was terrified and afterward a thought kept prodding my head and it won’t go away and so I’m here.”</p><p>Virgil fell silent. The quiet stretched on and eventually, Roman spoke, voice barely above a whisper.</p><p>“What was the thought?”</p><p>Slowly, Virgil turned his gaze so that his and Roman’s eyes met head-on. “What if I never forgave him?”</p><p>Roman's entire body went still.</p><p>“I’ve had bigger issues the past week,” Virgil told him. “Logan’s been working himself literally to death, Patton’s been a mess, and Janus… we had to convince people to even let Janus remain in the building.</p><p>“But that’s… well, it's not solved because Janus is still going to have to live with being a werewolf and Patton hasn’t smiled since he watched Janus get mauled into pieces and my boyfriend is passed out and may keep pushing himself like-” Virgil cut himself off. “But my point is, that’s no longer as pressing.”</p><p>He was going about this all wrong. His tongue was too fat in his mouth, his words were coming out all garbed, and right now all he wanted to do was sink through the floor and never return.</p><p>“I… what I’m trying to say… I….” Virgil buried his face in his hands. “God, this is so difficult.”</p><p>Roman coughed. “Should I talk here? Would it help if I talked? Or would it help if I was quiet? Do you want- I could get paper and you could write it down? Or um… I could give you some paint and you could paint a picture of what you’re trying to say. They say a painting is worth 1000 words-”</p><p>“Shhhhhh.” Virgil cut him off, face still hidden.</p><p>Did he really want to do this?</p><p>Did he really trust Roman with his forgiveness?</p><p>
  <i>I knew there was something wrong with you.”</i>
</p><p><i>“Sure. Whatever you say, </i>Virgin.<i>”</i></p><p>
  <i>“HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU LIE ABOUT THAT?!”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Even if she did that to you, you probably deserved it.”</i>
</p><p>But then… </p><p>
  <i>I’m just really sorry.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Can I try to earn you back?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“I heard you were outside during the attack, I wanted to make sure…”</i>
</p><p>Virgil pulled his hands away from his face.</p><p>“I forgive you,” he told Roman firmly.</p><p>A shudder went through his brother's body and Roman took a step towards him. “Than-”</p><p>Virgil took the same step back. “I’m not done yet. I forgive you, but I don’t trust you. We’re not… we’re not friends yet. But I want…” He licked his lips. “I can see that you changed. I’m happy you did. And I forgive you for the past.”</p><p>Roman wiped his eyes. “That’s more than I deserve. Thank you, Virgil, thank you so so much.”</p><p>“We’re… acquaintances,” Virgil decided. “Right now, that’s the best I can offer.”</p><p>Roman nodded eagerly. “That’s perfect, Virgil. It’s perfect. I… I promise I won’t fuck it up.”</p><p>Virgil nodded silently. With a wave, he left his smiling brother at the Gryffindor entrance and began his way down to the basement.</p><p>He had promised to hang out with Janus and Patton after he talked with Roman and Virgil wasn’t one to break his word.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just a note that RemRom is definitively never happening. They're not brothers here but they're brothers in canon sooo... yeah. Nope.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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